Why the change happened in October 2009.
The short answer is that my brain shut down. I was under a neurologist at King's Lynn who sent me for an MRI to look for lesions to see if I had MS. I wasn't able to go to work as I was feeling very weak and grotty. Mand wasn't at work as she'd had a bad asthma attack a couple of days previously.
The day in question I had decided to have a nap after Beth had gone to school. I woke up just after 10 and my body was paralysed down the right side. Completely and utterly. My face had fallen, my speech was slurred and I was in a bad way. The first ambulance crew came out and said that as I had an underlying condition being investigated my doctor would have to come out. Mand explained that she had tried to call the docs but they were having one of their training days and couldn't get anyone, so the ambulance crew rang and someone was going to come out.
The doctor came out (not one that I had seen before) and said that I should be in hospital and called for an ambulance crew. A different crew came out and said they knew why the first crew wouldn't take me. The cottage we lived in had a door at the top and bottom of the stairs and was a very narrow staircase with walls either side - no way the stretcher would get up and down. So, the crew called their boss to say that they had to get a firecrew out to take out the window. Despite them having over 40 years of service between them they still had to ask their boss who looked like she was just out of school. The boss came out and actioned the fire crew.
Now there were 3 ambulance crew and we waited for the firecrew. By this time, my mom and Phil had arrived from Cambridge. And Beth arrived from school. Till my dying day I will never forget the blood curdling scream of "Mommy" that Beth let out as she saw the ambulance crew. Thankfully my mom was downstairs to give her hugs and let her know I was okay.
The fire crew arrived. And another. And their chief. And land sea rescue. In the end there were about 12 firemen coming in and out of the bedroom, taking out the window and taking me out in a sling. Not a pleasant experience. From the inital call to getting to the hospital took over 6 hours. And then I was put into CDU.
I hate the Clinical Decisions Unit. I was just left there in pain and paralysed. Mand stayed with me till about 8 and then Phil brought my mom and Beth in and took Mand to get our car as he then had to go back down home. The pain got worse and worse until it was making me cry. In the early hours of the morning my mom and Mand through a hissy fit and managed to get me some pain relief. I didn't see the doctor till a lot later.
I was moved onto a ward where I stayed for the next week. There weren't any lesions on the MRI so the neurologist said that I have CFS - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This is something we are disputing. Although I do have some of the symptoms of CFS, there are also a lot that I don't have. I also have a lot of symptoms that don't fit the CFS diagnosis. But more of that later...
Seoladh beannacht an ghrá, solas agus sonas.
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